Decorating Guides
Celebrate Geometry for a Sharp-Looking Design
Take a calculated approach to design by incorporating crisp lines and angles that add structure to free-flowing forms
When we talk about geometry in design and architecture, we are talking about the use of lines and curves and planes. These are not the organic shapes of a tree or a stream, but rather things that can be measured and calculated with compasses and protractors and rulers (or at least that's what we used when I was in high school).
Geometric design is not ornate and filled with flourish — it's straightforward and hard edged and crisp. It was popular in the '50s and '60s, and like all things midcentury, it has made a major comeback. But it's not all space age modernism. Many geometric patterns are rooted in traditional patterns from around the world. The Greek key pattern is a classic example, as are ikat and simple stripes.
These 14 examples show geometric design in all its bold, no-nonsense beauty.
Geometric design is not ornate and filled with flourish — it's straightforward and hard edged and crisp. It was popular in the '50s and '60s, and like all things midcentury, it has made a major comeback. But it's not all space age modernism. Many geometric patterns are rooted in traditional patterns from around the world. The Greek key pattern is a classic example, as are ikat and simple stripes.
These 14 examples show geometric design in all its bold, no-nonsense beauty.
This midcentury house has a striking wooden screen that juts out in sharp angles. It almost looks like a spaceship.
A geometry-inspired rectangle with a lovely and dramatically canted roofline. You could plot that angle on a graph pretty easily.
The rooms and windows here are all rectangles. The house looks as if it were made out of gray Lego pieces.
This is a beautiful example of earthy and organic materials meeting structured and nature-defying lines. This house in a monument to both.
So much of modern landscape design relies on juxtaposing the randomness of nature against the hard and fast rules of geometry. This is a beautiful example of squares and rectangles against the unpredictable shapes of plants.
This floor is an Escher-like pattern of diamonds and squares that become 3-D boxes. It has the traditional feel of Middle Eastern design in a wholly modern setting.
The quilt-like pattern on this wallpaper is made up of equilateral triangles.
An optical illusion of tile. I think this might make me dizzy.
A subtle white-on-white geometric pattern adds texture to a modern kitchen.
The ubiquitous chevron pattern (I'm still a fan) adds a little geometry to this softer, more free-form living room.
This light fixture is a geometric interpretation of nature, a branch represented in hard angles and straight lines. So lovely.
This globe light made of hexagons is another earthy piece of geometry.
Geometry in design doesn't have to be all machine age precision. This drawing combines the uniqueness of freehand with the precision of geometry.